BROWARD COUNTY, FL The battle over who will build the multi-million dollar convention center hotel here could lead to a boycott by black tourists, according to published reports. The threat came from the head of the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which wants African-American developer R. Donahue Peebles to build the hotel.
The possibility of a boycott could not come at a worse time for the county, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel . The county currently is bidding for both the state and national NAACP conventions next year, meetings worth millions of dollars to hotels.
Commissioner Sue Gunzburger noted that, “This hotel will be built by a minority That doesnt mean that minority has to be Mr. Peebles.”
Peebles has been trying to build a 505-room Westin hotel since 1997. The developer claims he has been blocked by foot-dragging Broward County Commissioners. Commissioners say Peebles has constantly sought changes in the deal.
Three other black-owned firms have expressed interest in building the hotel. As previously reported in HOTEL BUSINESS., one of the three is Treyball Development, owned by entertainer Will Smith and his brother Harry Smith. (3/21/01)
SOURCE: South Florida Sun-Sentinel